Improvement in clothes-pins



' A. B. LIPSEY.

Improvement in Clothes P in-s N0.124,071. Paiented Feb. 21, 1972-.

NITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-PINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,071, dated February27, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. LIPSEY, of West Hoboken, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clothes-Pins; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference bein ghadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this. specification,and in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of a tongued clothes-pinwith my improvements applied thereto, and showing the thimble in itselevated position. Fig. 2 represents a clothespin without a tongue,having my improvement, and showing the thimble moved down to close thepoints. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the clothes-pin; and Fig.4represents a central vertical section at line A B, Fig. 3.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination, with the forkedbody of the clothes-pin, of a wood-holding and clamping thimble, ashereinafter described.

In the drawing, thepart markedAindicates the forked body of theclothes-pin, which may be made with a tongue, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4,or without a tongue, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer conformation beingsimilar in both cases, and as indicated in the drawing. The pin A isturned from flat stock, of less thickness than the diameter of the pin,so that a flat surface, (I, is left on either side of thepin;consequently, when the wooden thimble B is arranged upon the upper partof the pin, there will be sufficient space for any water to run throughthat may fall from the top of the pin and thimble in case of rain, thusobviating a difficulty, which might otherwise arise, of the pin andthimble freezing together in cold wet weather. The head 0 of the pin isformed by a square shoulder at a, and the diameter of the head issomewhat more than the diameter of the swell of the forks at A, whenthey are pressed firmly together. The thimble B is made with a shoulderupon its interior at b, the internal diameter of the thimble above theshoulder being greater than the diameter of the pin-head C, so that theupper end of the thimble can pass up above said head; and the internaldiameter 'of the thimble below the shoulder b is made less than thediameter of the head 0, to prevent the thimble from passing entirely offfrom the pin. This lower internal diameter of the thimble is justsufficient to permit of the thimble being passed over the swell of theforks A, when they are pressed hard together; but when it is passed saidswell it works loosely upon the pin. The thimbles can be made of sometough wood, such as beech, birch, or maple, so as not to be liable tosplit, and may be turned plain, as shown in Fig. 2, or be more or lessornamental, to suit the taste.

When the clothespins are put onto the line the thimble B serves as ahandle; and by crowding the pin down the thimble B is slipped down uponthe swelled portion A, and thus securely locks the pin to the line; andthen, when removing them from the line, it is simply necessary to takehold of the thimble and pull it upward, which first raises the thimbleagainst the head of the pin, thus releasing the lock, and thus draws thepin from the line.

It will thus be seen that my improved clothespin can be handled with asmuch ease and facility as the ordinary clothes-pin. The thimble forms aconvenient handle, and is of sufficient size to permit of the pin beingpressed firmly down upon the line, and locked with sufficient force toprevent its being loosened by the action of the wind. The thimble, beingof wood, can also be very quickly and cheaply produced, so that the costof manufacture will be much less than for those in which a metallic ringis used for locking the forks, while the lockin g is equally secure, andthe parts much more convenient to handle and operate.

Having described my improvements in clothes-pins, what I claim thereinas new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--The herein-described clothes-pin, consisting of the wooden thimble Bwith internal shoulder I), and the pin A having the head 0 and shouldera, with or without the plain or flat sides d, said parts beingconstructed and combined for joint operation, as shown and set forth.ANDREW B. LIPSEY.

lVitnesses:

OHAs. H. BURLEIGH, A. E. PEIReE.

